Apparatus for laying shingles or the like

ABSTRACT

A power driven, manually controlled machine for applying and nailing roofing shingles and the like, the machine including guide means for steering the machine with respect to the row of shingles to be applied; a bin adapted for retaining a plurality of shingles vertically oriented for dropping into proper position for nailing; first and second vertically disposed and generally parallel blades selectively operable for first separating a single shingle from the bundle and then releasing it to fall forward against a guide for proper positioning; a third selectively operable vertically disposed blade member having a plurality of hammer projections; a tack separator and feeder assembly actuable with the third blade member for separating, conveying and positioning tacks with respect to a shingle for nailing by the hammer projections. Control is effected at either side of the machine by like sets of two pairs each of control levers operating cables in conjunction with a pulley assembly and drive shaft to effect the proper sequential operations.

United Stat es Patent [1 1 Hernandez [4 1 Feb. 26, 1974 [5 APPARATUS FOR LAYING SHINGLES oR THE LIKE [76] Inventor: Jesus Manuel Hernandez, 2733 Adams St., Long Beach, Calif. 90810 22 Filed: Dec. 14,1971 211 App]. No.: 207,828

[52] US. Cl. 227/111 [51] Int. Cl B27f 7/02 [58] Field of Search 227/111 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,106 11/1891 Dees 227/111 X 610,943 /1898 Lonning 227/111 X 3,298,584

l/l967 Miller 227/111 X Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT A A power driven, manually controlled machine for applying and nailing roofing shingles and the like, the machine including guide means for steering the machine with respect to the row of shingles to be applied; a bin adapted for retaining a plurality of shingles vertically oriented for dropping into proper position for nailing; first and second vertically disposed and generally parallel blades selectively operable for first separating a single shingle from the bundle and then releasing it to fall forward against a guide for proper positioning; a third selectively operable vertically disposed blade member having a plurality of hammer projections; a tack separator and feeder assembly actuable with the third blade member for separating, conveying and. positioning tacks with respect to a shingle for nailing by the hammer projections. Control is effected at either side of the machine by like sets of two pairs each of control levers operating cables in conjunction with a pulley assembly and drive shaft to effect the proper sequential operations.

v 15 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures SHEET 1 BF 7 wmm Com

Tod

PAIENIEDnaazsmm I 1 3,794,237

' sum 3 0F 7 PATENIED E 51974 sum 6 0F 7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention' relates to machines for mechanically laying shingles, floor tiles, or the like, and more particularl y to a machine for applying, composition shingles to a. roof along a predetermined line and nailing the shingles in place in a sequence of controlled operations.

One of the popular type roofing materialsis-a composition shingle approximately 1.2 inches X 36 inches being formed as an asphalt strip having applied to one surface thereof colored granulated material which is the exposed shingle surface. Each shingle is provided with slots or cutouts approximately inches long extending generally perpendicular to-the longedge of the shingle which is the edge to be exposed. The shingles are applied to the roof in overlapping and offset relationship, row by row. Inthe usual method of applying such shingles, the first row or course of shingles is placed by aligning the butts of the shingles at the bot.-.

tom of the roof along the edge thereof. Succeeding courses ofshingles are aligned by either holding the butts of the shingles flush with the top of the 5 inches cutouts of the shingles of the preceding course or alternatively employing a reference line extendingin the direction of the row of the shingles at desired. locations along the sloping roof. Each course of shingles is offset or staggered from the preceding row in such a manner that the cutouts in the shingle of a particular course are midway between the cutouts of the shingles in an adjacent course. Each shingle is fastened to the roof with nails or staples, the total number of nails or staples being three or four which are generally aligned along the length of the shingle along a line approximately I- inch above each slot or cutout.

There are attendant disadvantages to the method of manually applying composition shingles vto roofs which are overcome by the present invention. Initially shingles must be placed at strategic locations in bundles at various points along the area of the roof to be readily accessible to the individual applying the shingles to the roof. Additionally, each course of shingles must be laid individually by' precisely positioning with reference to the preceding course and then three or four nails or staples must be driven into each shingle. In order to apply shingles to a roof of normal size, it would generally require two skilled tradesmen working at least eight hours to accomplish the job. Furthermore, the roofers are working ina kneeling or squatting position with much body movement required for reaching for shingles from the bundles, aligning them, and then hammering them in place.

Various attempts have been made to develop machines to assist roofers in-their task. One such machine for laying and nailing shingles is described in U.S. Pat. No. 463,106. A roof shingle applying machine of another type is described in US. Pat. No. 3,298,584, which also includes a mechanism for dispensing the shingle nails as desired.

However, various shingle laying machines of the prior art as are known have not performed entirely satisfactorily or have not provided a complete answer to the task of laying shingles and nailing them in place on an automatic or semi-automatic basis. Some of the machines which are known have still depended upon excessive manual effort on the part of an operator.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for applying roof shingles or the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for applying shingles, which apparatus is power driven.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved shingle applying apparatus for precisely positioning and nailing shingles to the roofing surface.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved shingle applying apparatus which mechanically separates, transports and positions tacks for nailing the shingles. in place.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved shingle applying apparatus which is power driven and manually controllable throughout a complete cycle of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a shingle laying machine is provided which is power driven and manually controlled for applying and nailing roofing shingles or the like. The machine has a body with wheels which can be propelled in a forward or reverse direction along the length of the roof inthe direction of the course of shingles to be applied. Guide means are provided for steering the machine with respect to the row of shingles to be applied, the guide means generally coacting with the immediately preceding course. The body is provided with a'shingle receptacle or bin which retains one or more bundles of shingles in vertical alignment, with the shingle bottom facing toward the lower edge of the roof and the slotted ends or butts of the shingles facing up. The shingles are mechanically biased toward a first vertically disposed blade member with a second vertically disposed blade member being positioned and spaced in parallel alignment with the first blade. The spacing between the blades is sufficient to accept only one shingle thickness therebetween, the two blades being selectively operable for separating one shingle from the bundle at a time. The second blade is operable to release the selected shingle which then falls forward under the force of gravity onto the roof against a guide for properly positioning the shingle along the course being applied. On the rearward side of the machine are a plurality of tack separator and feeder assemblies, each of which accepts tacks randomly ori ented, aligns them point down, then conveys the tacks along guide means to a point adjacent the front edge of the machine where they are retained. A plurality of tack arms having magnetic means with apertures there through at the free ends thereof engage the tacks and then position them with respect to the shingle being applied. A third selectively operable, vertically disposed blade member is then actuated, the blade member having a plurality of hammer projections adapted for insertion through the apertures in the magnetic means to drive the tacks into the shingles.

The machine is operable-from either end. thereof by duplicate sets of controls, each set consisting of two pairs of levers with two of the levers each being connected for the control of one particular function to the mutual exclusion of another function. For example the forward and reverse drive controls are actuated by the same lever since the operation of one function mutually excludes the operation of the other. Similarly the control of the first and second blades is mutually exclusive. Therefore the first and second blades are controlled by the same lever so that the operation of one negates the operation of the other, while effecting efficient sequential operation to separate one shingle from the bundle and then position it in its proper location for applying to the roof. The remaining two levers individually operate the tack positioner arm and the hammer blade member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the present invention may be gained from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a shingle applying apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the shingle laying apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 with certain parts thereof omitted or broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view (partially sectioned and partially broken away) showing structural details of the blade actuator mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 through 8 are diagrammatic views showing the sequence of operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an isometric diagrammatic view (with phantom illustration) of the tack separator assembly of the invention as used in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the tack separator assembly of FIG. 1 taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged isometric view, partially broken away, of the tack holding magazine used in the invention;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the tack positioner assembly used in the invention;

FIG. 13 is a'front view of the tack positioner assembly of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line l4l4 thereof;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along the line l5-15 thereof; and

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a drive mechanism portion taken along line l6l6 of FIG. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, and 2, the shingle laying machine shown and described herein as a preferred embodiment of the invention has as its main components a main body portion 10, a blade assembly 12 secured to the front end of the main body portion 10, three tack separator housings 14 extending rearwardly of the main body portion 10, a power transmission assembly 16 extending outwardly from one end of main body portion 10, a'first control support arm 18 extending outwardly from power transmission assembly 16 and a second oppositely disposed control support arm 20 extending outwardly from the opposite end of main body portion 10.

It will be noted that the unit embodying the invention herein is shown as a shingle laying machine. The principies and concepts of the invention are also adaptable to the laying of similar materials, such as floor tiles and the like.

As shown in FIGS.'2 and 3, the main body portion 10 has a floor 22, upwardly transversely extending end walls 24 and 26, and a rear wall 28 to form a bin having dimensions sufficient to contain a bundle of shingles 30 in vertical alignment with cutouts 32 extending upwardly and the composition surface 34 of shingle 30 facing toward rear wall 28. Positioned in parallel relation to the rear wall 28 are a pair of pressure plates 36 which have pivotally secured to the rearward end thereof -a first end of an extension arm 38 extending through an elongated slot 40 in rear wall 28 with the other end thereof pivotally secured to an intermediate point along pressure plate actuating arm 42. One end of the arm 42 is pivotally coupled to rear wall 28 at a point above slot 40 by'means of a pivot lug 44. The pressure plate 36 is resiliently urged forward by means of a spring 46 having one end thereof secured to a flange 48 affixed to rear wall 28 adjacent lower end of slot 40 and the other end thereof being connected to pressure plate actuating arm 42 at a point rearwardly of the pivot point of extension arm 38.

Means for guiding the machine are secured to main body portion 10, such as inwardly disposed right-angle member 11 (at the leftend when viewing FIG. 1) and outwardly disposed right-angle member 13 at the right end thereof. Angle member 11 is fixed with respect to the main body portion 10 by suitable means such as struts 17 and can abut against the edge of the roof, for example when applying the first course of shingles (with a suitable extension bracket, if needed). Angle member 13 serves as a guide after the first course has been laid by inserting the guide under the shingles so that the vertically disposed part thereof abuts against the edge of the shingle of the course preceding the course being applied. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 and also in FIG. 3. Either angle member 11 or 13 or both can be made adjustable if desired.

The main body portion 10 is suitably mounted on wheels 15, one or more of which is driven from the power unit 17. A 2-9 horsepower engine is utilized as the power unit 17 and is mounted conveniently for coupling to the drive shaft (as hereinafter described in relation to FIG. 15). Alternatively an electric motor may be used if electric mains are available.

Secured to main body portion 10 adjacent the front end thereof is the blade assembly 12 which includes three vertically extending, inverted, generally U- shaped blade guide structures 50, 52 and 54 having vertically aligned and slidably retained therein a first or rear blade 56, a second or forward blade 58, and a third or hammber blade 60, respectively. Each of the guide structures 50, 52 and 54 is constructed of vertically disposed tubular members 62 and 64 which are slotted lengthwise to create runners 66, each pair of which are in general alignment facing each other. Positioned within tubular member 62 for slidable relation therein are second tubular members 68 and 70 having affixed thereto blade support bars 72 and 74 coacting with runners 66. Each of the blade members 56, 58 and 60 is secured at either end thereof to blade support bars 72 and 74 by suitable means such as bolts or welding. Interconnecting the uppermost portions of tubular members 62 and 64 are tubular members 76, 78 and 80 which serve a dual function providing lateral support as well as serving as cable guide ways for control and actuation cables.

ing function. Accordingly, rear blade 56 and front blade 58 are positioned in parallel relationship with a space therebetween sufficientto accept only one shingle 30 at a time. The hammer blade 60 is positioned at a distance from forward blade 58, which distance is predetermined by the precise location desired for nailing which is usually on a line approximately one inch rearwardly of slots 32 of shingles 30. The blade structural arrangement is better illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein it can be seen that rear blade 56 (shown in an elevated position.) and front blade 58 are dimensioned approximately the same, while hammer blade 60 is shorter in height and has integral therewith and depending therefrom hammer pins 84. Three such hammer pins 84 are shown positioned at spaced locations relative to the shingles 30 for driving the tacks. For the hammer blade 60, the blade support bars 72 are secured adjacent the upper end thereof to tubular member 68 to provide space within tubular member 64 for a tension spring 86 which is secured at the lower end thereof to tubular member 64 by means of a nut and bolt assembly 88 and at the upper end thereof to slidable tubular member 68 by suitable means such as the rivet 90. It is to be understood'that blades 56 and 58 are similarly biased down-- wardly in the normal position by means of similar tension springs such as spring 86 positioned within the corresponding tubular member 64. Spring 86 associated with hammer blade 60 also serves as a compression spring to permit overtravel during the nailing operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, blades 56, 58 and 60 are driven upwardly by means of cables 92, 94 and 96 respectively which are secured adjacent the midpoint of the respective blades, the cables extending through the cable guide ways 76, 78 and 80, respectively, vto the power transmission assembly 16 for operation of the blades in a manner which will be hereinafter discussed.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 8, the sequential operation of the shingle applying machine will be discussed. It is to be understood that although the views show the machine in a horizontal position, in actual use the machine will be tilted with the slope of the roof. As

shown'in FIG. 5, blades 58 andv 60 are in their normal downward position with blade 56 raised so that pressure plate 36 urges the. bundle of shingles 30 against forward blade 58. The spacing between the blades 56 and 58 is sufficient to accept only one shingle thickness therebetween. Rear blade 56 having a thin lower edge configured and positioned to slide between two adjacent shingles 30 is then lowered as shown in FIG. 6 to separate one shingle 30 from the bundle. Forward blade 58 and hammer blade 60 are raised simultaneously as shown in FIG. 7 to permit the separated shingle 30 to fall forward under the force of gravity (as shown in dotted lines)into position against forward shingle guide 98 for proper positioning.

As shown in FIG. 3, with the shingle 30 in its proper position, tack arms 100 (the operation of which will be discussed hereinafter in detail) are extended along with tack 102 which is captively retained by magnetic means having an aperture extending therethrough in general alignment with the body portion of tack 102 so that upon release of hammer blade hammer pins 84 extend through the apertures to engage the head of tack 102 thereby driving simultaneously three tacks at predetermined positions through shingle 30 (as illustrated in FIG. 8). In summary, then, it can be seen that the shingle laying apparatus by selective operation sequentially advances one shingle into the space between blades 58 and 56 by raising rear blade 56and then lowering it to. separate one shingle 30, simultaneously raises forward blade 58 and hammer blade 60 to permit the shingle 30 to fall forward under the force of gravity against forward shingle guide 98, selectively actuates tack arms to precisely position tacks 102, and then actuates hammerblade 60 to drive tacks l02 through the shingle 30 for affixing to. the roof.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 9 and 10, the details-of the tack separator and conveyor assembly will now be discussed. As shown in FIG. 9, the tack separator assembly within housing 14 generally includes a first continuous conveyor belt 104 operating over a pair of spaced driven rollers 106 and 108 which are disposed for rotation about a generally horizontal axis adjacent the lower end of housing 14 to transport randomly oriented tacks toward an angularly disposed guide bar 110 toward-a hopper conveyor generally designated 112 adjacent the rearward end of housing 14. The tacks are inserted into the housing 14 through chute 114 (see also FIG. 14), the chute being positioned so that tacks entering therethrough will be transported by conveyor The hopper conveyor 1 12 includes a continuous conveyor belt 1 16 operating over horizontally disposed rollers 118 and 120, roller 118 being positioned generally below the plane -of conveyor 104 and in proximity thereto. The roller 120 is positioned adjacent the upper end of housing 14, with rollers 1 18 and 120 having horizontal axes which are generally perpendicular to the horizontal axes of conveyor rollers 106 and 108. Spaced'at equal distances about the periphery of conveyor belt 116 are a plurality of hopper bearings 122 which are secured to conveyor belt 116 extending the width thereof. Secured to each hopper bearing 122 is a hopper plate 124 which is affixed to hopper bearing 122 adjacent one edge thereof for limited pivotal movement. The conveyor belt 116 rotates in the'direction indicated by the arrow thereon wherein the hopper plates 124 on the ascending side of conveyor 116 are in the open position for raising tacks thereon to the upper end of housing 14. As the hopper plates 124 pass over the peak'of roller 120, tacks positioned thereon are dumped and hopper plates 124 acting under the force of gravity pivot about hopper bearings 122 so that hopper plates 124 on the descending side of conveyor 116 are in a generally vertical position. An arcuate guide 126 is affixed within housing 114 in close mating alignment with the outer edge of hopper plates 124 whereby tacks transported on conveyor 104 are fun- Platform 130 is of sufficient width and in sufficient proximity to conveyor 116 that the spacing therebetween is just enough to clear hopper bearings 122 with hopper plates 124 in their vertical descending position. The tacks received on platform 130 are then transported under the force of gravity down chute 128 to a tack feeder assembly 131. The tack feeder assembly includes a pair of pulleys 132 and 134, each having a vertical axis of rotation with a continuous belt 136 engaging both pulleys. The outer periphery of the belt 136 is provided with a plurality of equally spaced upper and lower finger projections 138, one of which in a set contacts the head portion of the tack while the other in the set contacts the body portion of the tack. Adjacent the lower edge of chute 128 there is formed an elongate continuous slot 140 which is formed by the lower edge of chute 128 and a coplanar strip 142 in general alignment with the path oftravel of the midpoint of belt 136 so that one finger 138 of a set passes in proximity to the upper surface of strip 142 while the other finger 138 of the set passes in proximity to the lower surface of strip 142 in the direction indicated by the arrow on belt 136. As the tacks come down chute 128, those that are properly aligned with the point oriented downward fall into slot 140 while those that are not properly oriented slide across and fall into the space between opposite sides of the belt 136 to be retransported on conveyor 104. The belt 136 is positioned with respect to pulleys 132 and 134 in a loose manner so that with slot 140 completely filled with tacks the drive pulley may continue to rotate but the belt 136 slips until the slot 140 can accept additional tacks.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, tacks 102 are fed from slot 140 to the exterior of housing 14 for movement on parallel guide bars 146 which are arcuately shaped downwardly to a point beneath floor 22 of main body portion and then continue to the front of the machine a predetermined spaced distance from the bottom of floor 22. The pair of guide bars 146 are coplanar in spaced relationship to form a slot 148 (see FIG. 10) which is aligned with a continuous extension of slot 140 within housing 14. Frictionally engaging the surface formed by tack bars 146 is a continuous belt 150 rotating about rollers 152, 154, 156, 158 and 160 which are so positioned that belt 150 follows the arcuate surface of tack bars 146 in sliding relation therewith so that the heads of tacks 102 are contacted frictionally by the adjacent surface of belt 150, thereby conveying tacks 102- to a position adjacent the front end of the machine. As shown in FIG. 11, a tack magazine 162 is secured to support member 164 of roller 160 by means of suitable support structure (not shown) which may, for example,

secure the wall 168 to the support member 164, the

magazine 162 having a pair-.of parallel spaced walls 166 and 168 cxtendinggenerally transversely to the plane of belt so that the bodies of tacks 102 are retained therebetween with the heads of tacks 102 resting on the upper edges thereof. A head retaining plate 170 is also secured to support member 164 in a plane generally parallel to the plane formed by the heads of tacks 102. At the termination point of walls 166 and 168 there is located a' plate member 172 having an elongate slotted portion 174 which is open at the upper end thereof, the slot 174 being of sufficient width to permit the bodies of tacks 102 to pass therethrough but not sufficiently wide for passage of the heads of the tacks 102. The plate 174 is secured to both walls 168 and 166 in a direction generally perpendicular to the planes thereof with the upper end of plate 172 extending above the upper edges of walls 166 and 168 to provide shoulders filled with tacks the surface of conveyor belt 150 slides 'over the heads of tacks 102 which are in line while still permitting additional tacks 102 to be fed along guide bars 146 to the unoccupied space within slot 48.

The tacks 102 are positioned by means of the tack positioner assembly as depicted in FIG. 3 and shown in detail in FIGS. 12 and 13. The tack positioner assembly 180 has one tack positioner control arm 182 for each of the three tack magazine assemblies 162. As shown in FIG. 3, the tack positioner assembly 180 is secured to the underside of floor 22 of the main body portion 10 adjacent the front end thereof in proximity to the blade assembly 12. In a normal position the tack positioner control arms 182 are in the retracted position shown in full lines in FIG. 12, while in the extended position the tack positioner control arms I82 occupy the positions indicated in dotted lines. Each control arm 182 is pivotable about a vertical axis 184, the free ends of control arms 182 being provided with magnetic means 186 having apertures 188 extending therethrough. .The aperture 188 communicates with slots 190 which are formed in arms 182 on the edge corresponding to the direction of rotation of control arms 182. This is to permit the tack positioner control arms 182 to be retracted, even though the hammer pins 84 extend through aperture 188. In the retracted position of control arms 182 the magnets 186 are directly over the tacks 102 which have the heads exposed in maga zines 162, the magnet 186 having sufficient magnetic strength to lift tack 102 over shoulders 176 and 178 so that the body portion of tack 102 is lifted a height sufficient to pass through the elongated slot 174 of plate 172. Movement of the tack positioner control arms 182 is effected by a pulley and cable arrangement including a drive pulley 190, a right tack'arm pulley 192, a center tack arm pulley 194, a left tack arm pulley 196 and a reverse idler pulley 198, the pulleys 192, 194, 196 and 198 havinga vertical axis of rotation with drive pulley 190 having a horizontal axis of rotation, the pulleys being interconnected by means of a continuous cable 200'wound thereon. The cable 200 is wound about the pulleys so that the direction of rotation of the pulleys is in the direction indicated by the arrow adjacent thereto with the cable 200 traveling in the direction of the arrow parallel thereto. The tack arm pulleys 192, 194 and 196 have secured to the lower surfaces thereof for concurrent rotation therewith cam members 202, 204 and 206 respectively. Each of the cam members is ,shaped with a camming surface adjacent one end to control the position of the associated tack positioner control arm 182. Each cam member is mounted to pivot about the same axis as the pivot of the corresponding tack arm pulley. The cams 202, 204 and 206 are so positioned with respect to control arms 182 that as the cams rotate each urges against the adjacent edge of its corresponding control arm to rotate the control arms to the positions shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12. The camming surfaces of the cams 202, 204 and 206 are such that the respective tack positioner control arms 182 move as shown in the broken line outline representations thereof for a 90 rotation of the cam members. The two outer control arms 182 are provided with arcuate recessed portions 208 which are so configured to matingly engage a portion of the corresponding cam in close abutting relationship to provide the precise positioning required and permit the free ends of the respective control arms to be positioned apart a distancefurther than the distance between tack arm pulleys 192 and 196. As shown in FIG. 13, each pivot 184 of control arms 182 has a rotary spring 210 encircling the stud or pivot 184 with one end of the rotary spring being affixed to control arm l82 while the other end thereof is secured to the appropriate supporting member of the pivot 184. The tension of spring 210 is such that each tack positioner control arm 182 is biased to its retracted position. With the drive pulley 190 being driven, belt 200 drives the tack arm pulleys 192, 194 and 196 in the direction shown to extend tack positioner control arms 182 to the position indicated in dotted lines. The cable 200 has sufficient tension to maintain the control arms with belt slippage in the extended position while cable 200 is being driven but yet is sufficiently loose to permit control arms 182 to retract under the force of springs 210 when drive pulley 190 is no longer driven.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 through 16, the details of the power transmission assembly will be discussed. As shown in FIG 14, the power transmission assembly 16 includes a sheet metal housing 212 which is essentially a two part sheet metal configuration for supporting the required shafts and pulleys therein. Horizontally disposed within housing 212 is a drive shaft 214 having secured thereto a plurality of drive pulleys 216, 218 and 220. The drive shaft 214 is connected to a suitable source of power such as electric motor or gasoline driven engine 17 by conventional drive coupling means. Positioned within housing 212 are also suitable auxiliary power takeoff shafts 222 and 224 for providing power to the various parts of the machine when driven. Also secured adjacent the upper portion of the housing 212 is a shaft 226 having a plurality of idler pulleys 228 rotatably affix'ed thereto.

For operation of blades 56, 58 and 60, the cables 92, 94 and 96 respectively affixed thereto arev threaded through cable guideways 76, 78 and 80 respectively (see also FIG. 1) over rollers 230 secured for rotation adjacent the open ends thereof to suitable drive pulleys 232, 234 and 236 respectively. As better illustrated in FIG. 16, the drive cable 94 for forward blade 58 is secured to a reel pulley 234 at point 230 by suitable fastening means such as a screw or the like. Secured to reel pulley 234 is a smaller pulley 240 for concurrent rotation therewith about shaft 224. Drive pulley 218 is generally coplanar with pulley 240, idler pulley 242 and clutch pulley- 244 with a belt 246 encircling and coupled with the four pulleys. Pulley 242 is rotatable about power takeoff shaft 222 while pulley 244 is supported about an offset pivot arm 248 rotatable about pulley 242 at one end thereof and having a shaft extension supporting clutch pulley 244. Off-set pivot arm 248 is biased downwardly at the free end thereof by a spring 250 which is suitably secured at the other end thereof to a rigid support member (not shown). Secured to the free end of pivot arm 248 is a control cable 252 extending upwardly about idler pulley 254 to control lever 256 ,(see Fig. With clutch pulley 244 biased downwardly by means of spring 250, belt 246 does not drive pulley 240 even though drive pulley 218 is rotating. As control cable 252 is pulled upwardly as indicated by the arrow thereon by lever 256, the clutch pulley 244 frictionally engages belt 246 to thereby provide driving power to pulley 240. Consequently cable 94 leading to blade 58 is wound around reel pulley 234, thereby raising blade 58 against the force of the tension spring associated therewith. When control cable 252 is released, blade 58 is then driven downwardly by means of its associated tension spring. Blades 56 and 60 are similarly operated in the manner indicated in FIG. 16 with cable 92 being wound about rear blade reel pulley 232 and blade 60 having its corresponding cable 98 wound about reel pulley 236. Springs 260 and 262 (FIG. 14) perform the same function as spring 250 while offset pivot arm 248 is'similar in operation to offset pivot arms 264 and 266.. Offset pivot arm 264 has control cable 268 connected thereto while offset pivot arm 266 has control cable 270 attachcd'thereto to perform the same operational function as previously described.

As shown in FIG. 15, the control support arm 18 has secured thereto, as by welding for example, first and second pivot arms 272 and 274 with support control levers 256 and 276 respectively for limited pivotal movement about pivots 278 and 280 respectively. Control lever 256 is generally L-shaped and contains a first lever arm 282 and a second lever arm 284 in general alignment and disposed on either side of pivot 278,

whereby the actuation of lever 256 in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 278 creates slack in control cable 252 and tension in control cable 268. Control cable 268 when under tension pulls up on pivot arm 264 (see FIG. 14) to thereby actuate the clutch pulley associated therewith to drive cable 92 about pulley 232 and thereby raise rear blade 56. to permit a shingle 30 to be advanced one position. Simultaneously the slack in controlcable 252 insures that the forward blade 58 is not actuated, thereby providing mutually exclusive control of rear blade 56 and forward blade 58. Similarly, rotation of lever 256 in a clockwise direction raises forward blade 58 'while insuring that rear blade 56 cannot be raised.

Control lever 276 is generally L-shaped with the pivot 280 located adjacent: the free end of the leg thereof while a control cable 286 is. secured adjacent the corner of control lever 276. Control cable 286 is the tack positioner arm control cable. For discussion purposes, control lever 256 will be referred to as a long arm lever and control lever 276 will be referred to as a short arm lever. Positioned on the opposite side of control support arm 18 are two additional control levers 288 and 290,each shown partially in broken lines. Control lever 288 is a short arm lever identical in configuration to short arm lever 276, with lever 288 being pivoted about the same axis 278 as control lever 256. Long arm lever 290 is pivoted about the same axis 280 as control lever 276, it being understood that adjacent control levers such as 276 and 290 are independently actuable. Short arm control lever 288 has affixed to the corner thereof the control cable 270 which, as previously discussed with reference to FIG. 14, controls cable 96 which raises the hammer blade 60. Thus, when it is desired to permit a shingle 30 positioned intermediate blades 56 and 58 to drop to the roofing surface, control levers 256 and 288 can be gripped simul- 11 taneously for clockwise rotation to thereby apply tension to control cables 252 and 270, simultaneously thereby raising forward blade 58 along with hammer blade 60.

Control lever 290, which is identical in configuration to control lever 256, has affixed thereto at either end of the leg thereof control cables 292 and 294. Control cable 292 is for forward direction of the machine along the course to be laid while control cable 294 is for reverse travel of the machine. The machine may be controlled from either end. Control cable 292 is guided over idler pulley 296 to offset pivot arm 298 which actuates clutch pulley 300 against the force of the bias spring 302 to permit belt 304 to frictionally engage drive pulley 306, clutch pulley 300, idler pulley 308 and the driven pulley 310 which is'affixed to axle 312 of the driving wheel 314. The particular arrangement with the clutch pulley 300 and offset pivot arm 298 is identical in operation to the similar arrangement employed in FIG. 16 for operating the forward blade 58. Similarly, with respect to the reverse direction, control cable 294 when tensioned is guided over idler pulley 316 to actuate offset pivot arm 318 against the force of I bias spring 320 to permit clutch pulley 322 to friction-' ally engage the belt 324 (shown in dotted lines) to permit drive pulley 326 to rotate driven pulley 328 affixed responding gear teeth mounted along on one face of the pulley 372. By means of another cable 369 extending from the pulley 372 over idler pulleys 374 and 376 to the pulley 134, the belt 136 is driven to move tacks 102 along slot 140. Pulley 372 is fixedly secured to shaft 380 which extends generally parallel to the housto wheel shaft 312, thereby driving wheel 314. T0 effeet the reverse direction three auxiliary power takeoff shafts 330, 332 and 334 are disposed within housing 212 in a horizontal direction with the three shafts being intercoupled by means of a chain (not shown) interwound about sprockets 336, 338 and 340 connected to each respective shaft and coacting to drive the respective shafts in the direction indicated by the arrows associated with each shaft. Thus it can be seen that for forward direction power is taken from shaft 334 which is operating in one direction of rotation while for reverse direction power is taken from adjacent shaft 332 which is operating in the counter direction.

With the control cables 292 and 294 affixed to opposite ends of the same arm of control lever 290, it is apparent that the forward and reverse drive directions of the machine are mutually exclusive, and operation of one precludes the operation of the other in a manner identical to the operation of control lever 256.

Control lever 376 effects the operation of the tack positioner control arms (see FIGS. 12 and 13 also) and, with control cable 286 tensioned by counterclockwise rotation of control lever 276, cable 286 is guided over idler pulley 342 to pull offset pivot arm 344 against the force of bias spring 346 to apply tension to belt 348 by means of clutch pulley350, thereby applying power from shaft 342 through drive pulley 352 to tack arm driven pulley 354. Track arm driven pulley 354 drives shaft 356 (FIG. 12) which also drives pulley 190 to effect movement of cable 200 to operate the tack positioner control arms 182 to the position shown in dotted lines.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 14, it can be seen that the tack separator assembly receives its driving power from shaft 224 which is direct coupled to the power unit 17 to operate concurrently with the reel pulley 234 which also actuates forward blade 58. When the forward blade reel pulley 234 is driven, shaft 224 also rorates, driving pulley 360 affixed to the end thereof on the rearward side of tack separator housing 14. Pulley 360 is coupled to the pulley 362 by means of cable 368 ing 14 to the other end thereof where a pulley 382 connected to shaft 380 operates a pulley 384 by means of a continuous cable 386, the pulley 384 driving roller 118 (FIG. 9) to operate the hopper assembly 112.

It is to be understood that although pulleys and cables are shown as the principal drive arrangements, any suitable transmission arrangement can be utilized such as gears or the like, the. particular configuration shown being chosen because of its light weight, low cost construction, simplicity and reliability.

Briefly, in operation as more fully described hereinbefore, when applying the first course of shingles the machine is initially positioned so that the angle member 11 is abutting against the edge of the roof. The long arm lever 256 is moved ina counter-clockwise direction raising rear blade 56, permitting one shingle to be advanced into position. The levers 356 and 288 are si- I multaneously actuated for clockwise rotation, raising forward blade 58and hammer blade 60. Actuation of short-arm control lever 276 in counter-clockwise rotation operates control arms 182 to position the tacks opposite the shingle to be applied. Release of short arm lever 288 then causes the hammer blade 60 to fall, driv ing the tacks into the shingles.

Operation of long arm lever 290 then moves the machine backward or forward as desired to put it in position to tack another shingle to the roof.

After a single course of shingles is tacked to the surface, angle member 13 then serves as a guide so that the vertical disposed part thereof abuts against the edge of the shingle course preceding the course being applied (as seen in FIG. 3). The operation is then repeated until the entire roof is covered. While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for laying shingles or the like in accordance with the invention for the purpose of explaining the principles of construction and operation thereof, it is to be understood that various other adaptations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for applying shingles or the like to a mounting surface, the combination comprising:

a structure adapted for movement with respect to the surface;

a first blade member mounted on said'structure for generally vertical movement with respect to the surface;

a bin mounted on said structure for retaining a bundle of shingles in generally vertical alignment;

means for urging the bundles of shingles against said first blade member;

means including said first blade member and a second blade member adjacent the first, both blade members being vertically actuable in alternate sequence for selectively separating one shingle at a time from the bundle;

tack conveying means for sequentially feeding a plurality of particularly oriented tacks to a position adjacent said first blade member;

means carried by said structure for positioning said separated shingle on the surface;

tack positioning means for selectively simultaneously removing a plurality of tacks from said tack conveying means and positioning said tacks with respect to the shingle; and

selectively operable hammer means carried by said structure in line with the tacks positioned by the I tack positioning means for simultaneously driving said plurality of tacks through the shingle and into the surface.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said second blade memberis parallel to and spaced from said first blade member by one shingle thickness.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said separated shingle positioning means includes guide means positioned in close abutting relation with thesurface for receiving the separated shingle in position to be nailed.

4. The combination according to claim 1 further including means carried by said structure for guiding said structure with respect to the surface.

5. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said hammer means comprises a third vertically operable blade member in spaced parallel relation to said second blade member, said third blade member having a plurality of depending hammer pins for engaging th heads of the tacks. 4 I

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said tack positioning means includes a plurality of lever arms pivotable between a first position for recieving tacks from the tack conveying means and a second position of alignment with the hammer means.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said arms have magnetic means adjacent the free ends thereof for magneticallyretaining the tacks.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said magnetic means have apertures extending therethrough in alignment with said plurality of hammer pins, said apertures being of sufficient size to permit the hammer pins to pass therethrough.

9. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said first, second and third blade members are normally biased toward said surface, and said structure carries driving means for selective actuation of said blade members against the force of said bias.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said structure is mounted on wheels and said driving means are selectively engageable with at least one of said wheels for moving the machine with respect to the surface.

11. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said tack conveying means includes means for aligning randomly oriented tacks on guide means with the tack heads up, said guide means terminating in a tack magazine.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the tack aligning means comprises three distinct conveyors for transporting the tacks in respective orthogonal directions, the final one of said three conveyors being arranged to transport the tacks to a position adjacent the tack positioning means, and a slide plate slanted from the horizontal to direct tacks from an intermediate one of the conveyors to the final one.

13. The combination-of claim 12 further including a channel for passing tacks which miss the final conveyor to a' first one of said conveyors for recycling through the tack aligning means.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the first conveyor is generally horizontally aligned and is arranged to accept tacks from a feed hopper, the intermediate conveyor is generally vertically aligned to deliver tacks from the first conveyor to the upper end of the slide plate, and the final conveyor is generally horizontally aligned in a direction transverse to the alignment of the first conveyor.

15. The combination of claim- 14 wherein the intermediate conveyor includes a plurality of pivotable plates, each being extendable during travel in the upward direction and retractable during travel in the downward direction. 

1. In a machine for applying shingles or the like to a mounting surface, the combination comprising: a structure adapted for movement with respect to the surface; a first blade member mounted on said structure for generally vertical movement with respect to the surface; a bin mounted on said structure for retaining a bundle of shingles in generally vertical alignment; means for urging the bundles of shingles against said first blade member; means including said first blade member and a second blade member adjacent the first, both blade members being vertically actuable in alternate sequence for selectively separating one shingle at a time from the bundle; tack conveying means for sequentially feeding a plurality of particularly oriented tacks to a position adjacent said first blade member; means carried by said structure for positioning said separated shingle on the surface; tack positioning means for selectively simultaneously removing a plurality of tacks from said tack conveying means and positioning said tacks with respect to the shingle; and selectively operable hammer means carried by said structure in line with the tacks positioned by the tack positioning means for simultaneously driving said plurality of tacks through the shingle and into the surface.
 2. The combination according to claIm 1 wherein said second blade member is parallel to and spaced from said first blade member by one shingle thickness.
 3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said separated shingle positioning means includes guide means positioned in close abutting relation with the surface for receiving the separated shingle in position to be nailed.
 4. The combination according to claim 1 further including means carried by said structure for guiding said structure with respect to the surface.
 5. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said hammer means comprises a third vertically operable blade member in spaced parallel relation to said second blade member, said third blade member having a plurality of depending hammer pins for engaging the heads of the tacks.
 6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said tack positioning means includes a plurality of lever arms pivotable between a first position for recieving tacks from the tack conveying means and a second position of alignment with the hammer means.
 7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said arms have magnetic means adjacent the free ends thereof for magnetically retaining the tacks.
 8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said magnetic means have apertures extending therethrough in alignment with said plurality of hammer pins, said apertures being of sufficient size to permit the hammer pins to pass therethrough.
 9. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said first, second and third blade members are normally biased toward said surface, and said structure carries driving means for selective actuation of said blade members against the force of said bias.
 10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said structure is mounted on wheels and said driving means are selectively engageable with at least one of said wheels for moving the machine with respect to the surface.
 11. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said tack conveying means includes means for aligning randomly oriented tacks on guide means with the tack heads up, said guide means terminating in a tack magazine.
 12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the tack aligning means comprises three distinct conveyors for transporting the tacks in respective orthogonal directions, the final one of said three conveyors being arranged to transport the tacks to a position adjacent the tack positioning means, and a slide plate slanted from the horizontal to direct tacks from an intermediate one of the conveyors to the final one.
 13. The combination of claim 12 further including a channel for passing tacks which miss the final conveyor to a first one of said conveyors for recycling through the tack aligning means.
 14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the first conveyor is generally horizontally aligned and is arranged to accept tacks from a feed hopper, the intermediate conveyor is generally vertically aligned to deliver tacks from the first conveyor to the upper end of the slide plate, and the final conveyor is generally horizontally aligned in a direction transverse to the alignment of the first conveyor.
 15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the intermediate conveyor includes a plurality of pivotable plates, each being extendable during travel in the upward direction and retractable during travel in the downward direction. 